Sound recording system



Oct. 29, 1935. Noe {1cm SOUND RECORDING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 27, 1932 I 0 i V w L r $3; .P 15 U m C JB R O0 O0 5 .OO O .O 0 Y Haj /J i r a E P E L D r M o o 0 F 5 0o a Q Z .A o 0 O C A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOUND RECORDING SYSTEM Shigeo .Noguchi, Miyagawa-Cho, Sakyo-Ku,

Kyoto, Japan .2 Claims. (01.179-1004) This invention relates to an improvement in and relating to a process and an apparatus for gramophone recording and radio broadcasting of the :band music requiring a conductor, and has the characteristic feature that the conductor chamber is so separated from the band chamber that the gesture of the conductor is visible to the'eyes of the band musicians, while the musical sound waves are .shut off against the conductor, but are electrically transmitted through agramophone recording, or a radio broadcasting micro- .phone and its amplifier so that the conductor canhearmerely the electrically transmitted musical soundand thus he leads his band.

The invention has for its object to make the musical effects, recorded or broadcasted, satisfactoryto the conductor, regardless of the result of the original music actually played.

Heretofore, much studies have been made in the direction that, when recording or broadcast- .ing the band music requiring a conductor, such as orchestra or chorus, the same musical sound just as the conductor heard during his command is invariably recorded or broadcasted, for instance, by the means of improving the construction of microphone and. amplifier, and some or less desirable results have been attained. However, it is still unavoidable that the musical sound the conductor heard during his command and the one recorded or broadcasted are fairly different from each other. There were, in fact, very numerous instances where, due to the unsuccessful result that, despite the music actually played being satisfactory for the conductor, the one recorded was not so, re-recording had to be done sacrificing much expenses. The causes are trifold: (l) The variation of sensibility of the microphone, which .is affected by the distance between the amplifier and the sound source as well as the direction in which the sound waves proceed towards the amplifier, is not equal to that of human ear, which is very adaptable to sound variations. (2) The sensibility of a microphone varies according to the frequency of sound waves. (3) The amplification factor of an amplifier is always modified by the frequency of sound waves. In addition to these, there are other causes that recording or broadcasting devices present strong or weak sound strains. From these causes it will result that the musical effects which the conductor heard and found satisfactory when he leads his musicians, merely basing on the actually played music, differs from that once transmitted through a-microphone and its amplifier. Accordingly, the music recorded or broadcasted will never be .of volume. 'very numerous cases, that, after one record is taken, the conductor rehears the reproducing re- 10 .sult of .said record, and if he finds the result and thus he leads his band. From one point of what the conductor found to his satisfaction when he leads his musicians. Thus, for instance, in some musical instruments the high-pitched and low-pitched tones, when not in harmonious balance, are outstandinglycontracted with those 5 of other instruments, and in some other instances there willoccur wholly unanticipated variations It has therefore been necessary, in

,strain ,of a microphone due to the various positions which it takes .to the musical band, and

.eliminationof .ununiformity of the amplification 20 factor due to the variation of sound frequency of a microphone.

According to the invention, the sound strains, namely the .loud or low, and the strong or weak of sound, which arebroughtabout by such causes as mentionedabove, are eliminated by improving the arrangement of the radio broadcasting .chamberand the recording, chamber, and also by improving the system by which the conductor leads his band. For this purpose, the conductor is given merely the possibility of hearing the musical sound once transmitted through a microphone and its amplifier, and consequently modifiedfrom the original actually played music,

view, .the .apparatus constructed according to the principle of the invention, including the band chamber, the microphone and amplifier arranged therein and the conductor himself, may be regarded bodily as a large organic musical instrument, where the conductor is a player. Consequently, according to the invention it is possible that musical effects which can never be produced heretofore technically are produced in the same way asin making tricks of cinematograph. That is, thesound of an instrument can be strengthenedor weakened in much higher degree over the capacity of the instrument. Secondly, the sound of one instrument can be duplicated with that of other instrument and smoothly transferred m ma to latter sound. For instance, the sound can be transferred smoothly from that of trumpet to that of flute. Thirdly, some musical melody can be produced by using more than twoinstruments, such as, forinstance, flute and oboe, having diiferent musical tones, and by making the tones alternatively come out at any desirable interval. Further, if the number of musical instruments and their arrangement are varied, one can similarly produce other various musical trick-effects also in the direction of counterpoint and harmony, in addition to the above mentioned melodical effects.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates diagrammatically some examples of carrying out the invention, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of.

the whole apparatus in which a glass plate parti-' tion is arranged in a sound-proof manner between the conductor chamber and the band chamber so that the conductor is prevented from directly hearing the music actually played by his musicians, while the light waves can pass between them both; Fig. 2 shows a modification wherein television is made use of for electrically transmitting the gesture of the conductor to his musicians; and Fig. 3 is a further modification by which musical tricks are to be performed.

Referring to Fig. 1 A is the band chamber where the band plays, for instance, orchestra, and where is arranged a microphone, which is electrically connected with an amplifier D through a transmitting wire C, and the amplifier D transmits sound through a wire E to a recording device F, and through a wire G to the conductor K who is within a sound-proof chamber I, which is arranged adjoining the chamber A, or arranged as one division of the latter, and which is also separated on one side from the chamber A by a glass plate wall H provided with a sound-proof device, and surrounded on the other sides by sound-proof walls J. The conductor hears thus the music played by his musicians indirectly through the recording device, or the broadcasting microphone B and its amplifier D, and basing on the musical efiects the conductor thus heard indirectly, he leads his musicians by making his gesture visible to their eyes through the transparent plate wall H. For this purpose there are arranged a telephone wire and a loud-speaker, which are represented by L, and by which the conductor instructs the band, and also a telephone wire N by which the conductor gives requisite orders to the engineer M who is in charge of the amplifier.

In this embodiment the conductor commands his band by hearing the music recorded or broadcasted, and makes them to exercise until he obtains satisfactory musical effects, recorded or broadcasted. Thereafter, if the actual recording or broadcasting is effected into practice, the music recorded or broadcasted will always be satisfactory for the conductor, whatever may be the actual musical performance, and despite the fact that microphone has its specific strain and also a strain due to its positions, and that the amplifier also has its specific strain.

Referring to Fig. 2, the music played by the band X within the playing chamber A is electrically transmitted by a wire C to a recording or broadcasting microphone B and its amplifier D. The latter is connected by a wire E to a receiving device N arranged Within the conductor chamber I, which is wholly separated from the chamber A,

' so that the conductor hears the music actually played indirectly through the receiving device. 0 is a television image transmitting device arranged in front of the conductor K and designed for reproducing the gesture of the conductor. The gesture is electrically transmitted to the image receiving device P, arranged within the chamber A, and projected upon a screen Q. M is an engineer in charge of the amplifier. U, V and W represent a telephone device arranged between the engineer M and the conductor K, and R, S and T represent a telephone device arranged 5 between the band X and the conductor K.

This embodiment enables the, conductor to lead his musicians at a very distant place.

Referring to Fig. 3, A is the band chamber provided with a master microphone B. In this 10 chamber the band X plays music, and some number of musicians X, X" and X, who are to make musical tricks, play within separate chambers A, each provided with a microphone B. The master microphone B is in connection with 15 the master amplifier D, and the microphone B are connected to the master amplifier D through local amplifiers D. It is by means of the musical effects electrically transmitted through the master amplifier D to a speaker H, that the conductor, 2 even within the chamber I separated in a soundproof manner from the. chamber A, can lead his musicians well.

In trick-making, (1) if the sound of an instrument is to be strengthened over the capacity 25 of the instrument, the latter is placed in the chamber A, and the sound can be strengthened by specially intensifying the current passing through the amplifier D connected to the chamber A. (2) If the sounds of two instruments 30 are to make come out alternatively, the sounds played by the musicians X, X" are transmitted to their local amplifiers D, and the currents leading to these amplifiers are alternatively switched, as shown at Z. (3) Further, if the 85 sound of one instrument is to be replaced by that of other instrument, the resistance of one amplifier is weakened, while that of the other amplifier is strengthened.

By this modification, which also may be re- 40 garded in a body as an organic musical instrument of one band, the conductor can make various musical tricks with the expectation that sure results can always be obtained.

I claim: 45

1. A system of recording sound including a players chamber and a conductors chamber, said chambers being acoustically insulated one from the other, a microphone located in the players chamber, a sound reproducer located in 50 the conductors chamber, a circuit connecting the microphone with the reproducer, an electric phonograph recording device connected with said circuit, said microphone being common to and adapted to transmit sounds emanating from various sources located in the players chamber. said circuit including a modulating device removed from said chambers, a sound transmitting device connecting the conductors chamber with said modulating device, a sound reproducer located in the players chamber, and a sound receiver electrically connected with said reproducer and located in the conductors chamber.

2. A system of recording sound including a players chamber and a conductors chamber, said chambers being acoustically insulated one from the other, a microphone located in the players chamber, a sound reproducer located in the conductors chamber, a circuit connecting the microphone with the reproducer, an electric phonograph recording device connected with said circuit, said microphone being common to and adapted to transmit sounds emanating from various sources located in the players chamber, n

said circuit including a modulating device removed from said chambers, a sound transmitting device connecting the conductors chamber with said modulating device, a plurality of sub-divisions located in the players chamber and adapted to contain separate sources of sound, ad-

ditional microphones located in the sub-divisions, and electrical means including modulating devices associated with the respective additional microphones and connected with the first mentioned circuit.

SI-HGEIO NOGUCHI. 

